The course employs the case-method of study, the success of which rests on the active participation of all class members.  Class participation is a component of the final grade.

Students will write two papers of 7-10 pages in length, give an oral presentation based on one of the two papers, and take a final exam.

The materials for the class can be found on reserve in Dewey library.  You should have a list of cases along with this syllabus.

Helpful Sources:

Bartlett, ed. Gender and Law: Theory, Doctrine, Commentary,   Little Brown (1993).
Bartlett, ed. Feminist Legal Theory: Readings in Law and Gender,  Westview Press (1991).
Conway, Ahern, Steuermagel, eds, Women & Public Policy: A , Revolution in Progress, CQ Press, (1999).
Frug, Minow, Roberts & Greenberg, eds, Women and the Law, 2d Ed.  Foundation Press (1998).
Goldstein, Contemporary Cases in Women's Rights, U/Wis Press  (1994).
 

First Paper:     Due 3/13    First Paper

Second Paper: Due 4/19    Second Paper
 

2/2     Introduction

I.    The Gender Standard in Constitutional Law, 2/7

• Muller v. Oregon, Goesaert v. Cleary, Hoyt v. State of Fla, Reed v. Reed

II.   The Workplace

        Topics Include    Gender Ghettoes and the law, First Amendment and Hostile Workplace Rules, Discrimination
                                    on the basis of pregnancy, Sexual Harassment, Intersectional Discrimination

2/9-14    Shibboleths and Stereotypes
 

• Frontiero v. Richardson, Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, UAW v. Johnson Controls,Rogers v. American Airlines, Geduldig v. Aiello, California Fed. Savings & Loan v. Guerra
• Austin, Sapphire Bound!
• Finley, Transcending Equality Theory: A Way Out of the Maternity and the Workplace Debate

2/16        Environmental Discrimination
 

• Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson, Craft v. Metromedia,Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.
• MacKinnon, The Sexual Harassment of Working Women
• Cho, Converging Stereotypes in Racialized Sexual Harassment: Where the Model Minority Meets Suzie Wong

2/22     Remedies
 

• Kahn v. Shevin, Johnson v. Transportation Agency, American Nurses' Ass'n v. Illinois, Personnel Administrator of MA. V. Feeney
• Crenshaw, Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex

III.    Criminal Justice

        Topics Include:     Women as Prisoners; On Death Row; The Status of the Marital Rape Exemption;
                                    Domestic Violence and the Public/Private Split; The Battered Women's Defense;
                                    The Violence Against Women Act

2/23    Women in the Criminal Justice System
 

• Conway, Ahern, Steuernagel eds, "Women and the Criminal Justice System" in Women & Public Policy
• Schmall, Women, the Death Penalty and Commutation (F. 1996) (Lexis-Nexis)

2/28    Sexual Violence
 

• Michael M. v. Superior Court of Sonoma County, State v. Colbath, Brzonkala v. Morrison
• Harris, Race and Essentialism in Feminist Legal Theory
• Berry, The Pig Farmer's Daughter and Other Tales of  American Justice

3/1    Violence and Family Cohesion
 

• Thurman v. City of Torrington, State v. Wanrow, State v.  Anaya
• Bartlett, "Domestic Violence: The Problem"
• Littleton, Women's Experience and the Problem of Transition

III.     Educational Equity

        Topics Include:     Challenges facing Women in Academe; Constitutional Challenges to Sex Segregation;
                                    Sexual Harassment in the Primary Schoolyard

3/6    Single Sex Education
 

• Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan, Garrett v. Board  of Education, United States v. Virginia

3/8    Title IX
 

• Grove City College v. Bell, Franklin v. Gwinnett County  Public Schools, Cohen v. Brown University, Davis v. Monroe  County Bd. of Educ.
• Conway, Ahern, Steuernagel, eds., "Women and Educational Policy" in Women and Public Policy

3/13    Gender Bias in the Academy
 

• West, Martha Gender Bias in Academic Robes (1994)  (Lexis-Nexis)
• A Study on the Status of Women Faculty in Science at MIT

IV.    Poverty and Economic Justice

        Topics Include:     The Welfare Debate; Barriers to Economic  Autonomy

3/27    Family Autonomy, State Intervention
 

• Palmore v. Sidoti, Guardianship of Phillip Becker
• Olsen, The Politics of Family Law

3/29    Welfare Reform
 

• Roberts, Irrationality and Sacrifice in the Welfare Reform Consensus
• Brito, Tonya From Madonna to Proletariat (1999)   (Lexis-Nexis)

4/3    Health Law
 

• Conway, Ahern, Steuernagel, eds," "Women and Health Care Policy" in Women and Public Policy

V.    Family Life and Reproductive Issues

        Topics Include: Sterilization, Healthy Babies/Women's Liberty

4/5    Contraception; Gestational Surrogacy
 

• Griswold v. Connecticut, Johnson v. Calvert,
• Williams, Spare Parts, Family Values, Old Children, Cheap

4/10    Abortion
 

• Roe v. Wade, Webster v. Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Rust v. Sullivan

4/12    Punitive Controls on Women's Reproduction and Parenting
 

• In Re A.C., Maher v. Roe
• Paltrow, Lynn Pregnant Drug Users, Fetal Persons and the Threat to Roe v. Wade (1999)    (Lexis-Nexis)

4/19    Modern Theories of Sexuality, Construction of Family and Law
 

• Johnson v. Phelan, Bowers v. Hardwick, Shahar v. Bowers
• Posner, Sex and Reason
• Mill, On Liberty

V.    Feminist Jurisprudence

Topics Include: Theories about Equality/Difference, Dominance/Nonsubordination, Race/Gender Intersection, Gender  Identity and False Consciousness

4/24    Essentialism/Non-essentialism
 

• Minow, Feminist Reason: Getting It and Losing It
• Cornell, Beyond Accommodation: Ethical Feminism, Deconstruction and the Law
• Colker, The Anti-Subordination Principle: Applications

4/26    Critical Race Feminism
 

• Austin, Black Women, Sisterhood and the Difference/Deviance Divide
• Montoya, Mascaras, Trenzas y Grenas: Un/masking the Self While Un/braiding Latina Stories and Legal Discourse
• Williams, The Obliging Shell

5/1    Student Presentations

VI.    Domestic Law and International Human Rights

            Topics Include:     Cultural Identity/Women's Autonomy, Genocidal Crimes Against Women, the Public/Private Split
                                        in Int'l Law

5/3    The Non-Discrimination Principle in International Law
 

• Romany, Women as Aliens
• Copelon, Gendered War Crimes

5/8    Religion, Culture and Rights
 

• Mississippi Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield, Martinez v. Santa Clara Pueblo
• Lewis, Between Irua and "Female Genital Mutilation"
• An-Na'im, State Responsibility Under Int'l HR Law to Change Religious and Customary Laws

5/10   REVIEW